Winter 2011: Sweaters & Shoes

So one day recently I realized, hey, I'm running out of room in my closet because of...

...shoes.

You know, in all honestly I have no idea how that happened. I think this semester I've just been buying shoes more. The only explanation I can think of is the fact that I revamped my wardrobe back in September so I was less inclined to shop for clothes. That leaves only one option, right?

Not quite. We have shoes, and then we have jackets and sweaters and such. Also, lately I've been needing blazers, work wear, etc.

Picks and Pics ;)

H&M Cardigan - $24.95
This sweater (cardigan, apparently?) immediately reminds me of a fireplace. My sister's fireplace to be specific. Cozy.

Blowfish Hat Field Boot - $29.94

The funny thing about these is that I nearly bought them. I went to DSW to buy depression shoes (retail therapy) and these were on clearance for some amazing price that I don't recall. But at the checkout we found that one was a half size bigger so it didn't happen. I may still keep an eye out for them though.

Mossimo Supply Co. Juniors Long Sleeve Sweater - $17.99

These look a lot better in person, trust me, I've been eyeing them for a bit now. For some reason the colors are unappealing on Target's website.

Wild Diva Women's Berry-01 Flat - $40.50

That little bit of ankle makes all the difference. I like the standard versions of these but I've always preferred the ankle boot version.

Mossimo Supply Co. Juniors Varsity Cardigan - $12.48

This one's been on my list for a while, before the varsity thing got really popular actually. Then I saw too much of it and I lost my taste for it though I still meant to get one of these.

Aldo Flomace - $60

When I got my last Aldo kicks from their Thanksgiving Sale, I was torn between three pairs of sneakers. These were one of them, the black version was one of the other. These would definitely be number 2 after the ones I got.

Until next time ;)

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Wardrobe Essentials: Long(ish) Sleeve Bodycon Dress

UPDATE: I started this post a million years ago (literally. ok, i'm kidding obviously) but blogger wouldn't let me upload my pictures and I was tired so I kept putting it off and blogger still wouldn't let me upload the pictures -_- and here we are today. It's actually my dumb browser. I have to close the browser then open it again login again and then it let's me post -_- I am going to say that while I'm going to try for once a week, I may not post often. If you harass me in the comments I really will keep to my schedule though lol. Harassment works. Ahem, not that kind though -_-

So since I've discovered the joys of shopping from a list (I'm a neat freak, ignore me), I've established a list of my own wardrobe essentials. Some of these might differ from the typical cause obviously everyone has their own style, me included ;).

First Up: ...

The Long-Sleeve Bodycon Dress
Long sleeve, 3/4 sleeve, elbow length are all good but long sleeve is good because you can always push the sleeves up. This is an essential because, like most staples, it's incredibly versatile. It can be worn alone like in the picture above (from Yesstyle.com) and accessorized or it can be layered under vests, cardigans, and button-downs like this:

 This is actually my favorite look using this dress. Dara, I think, also throws a belt over the vest in this dress. Very sleek and very pretty.

It can also be worn alone simply paired with a pair of pumps and... hair. Lol, I'm kidding. Well not really, hair is totally an accessory ;) This one is from ASOS and it's in a silkier material while the staple version will likely be jersey. But the silkier version, especially in this bright blue, is more dressy and a very easy (and lazy) solution to more formal occasions.

She is totally wearing a dress under that skirt and vest. I know because I asked her. I'm kidding. Obviously. This dress can also work as a top. A lot of people will ask, why not just wear a normal long sleeve top. Well, using a dress for that purpose gives a smoother profile, less shirt tucking and riding up. It's a form-fitting dress. It also can sort of act as a safety... skirt if you don't want to flash anyone. If you do, then you must not live in NYC. I'm kidding (maybe). Lol.

Where to get one (or 5! One in all your favorite colors hehe):
For cheap! We're in a recession, my loves. Well even if we weren't, cheap means you can buy more stuff ;) I don't like sacrificing quality either so I'm a total shopping brat. Hence, why it's a sport for me. Finding cheap stuff that won't die on you immediately is work.

Dress - $14.95 (in stores in the U.S.)/£9.99 online in the UK
It looks pretty funny doesn't it? Haha, but it's a basic dress, it's supposed to be funny looking when you're not wearing it. But I have this and it performs all the wonders that a basic dress should. Well I suppose I'm the one performing the wonders since I decide what to do with it but whatever. The material is nice and the dress is incredibly comfortable. I've worn it plain and also with a skirt for my birthday (which was a blast, btw, I'm legal! :) I recommend

ASOS Body-Conscious Dress with Scoop Neck - $36.59
If you hate long-sleeves with a passion (or no passion or hate at all haha) you can opt for something like this. Elbow-length sleeves are actually one of my favorites as far as sleeves are concerned. My number 1 is of course, none ;) Work those toned arms. Or whichever you have, I don't know what it is with me and arms. But elbow-length sleeves work very well under vests and other forms of layering.

Mossimo Supply Co. Juniors Short Sleeve T-Shirt Dress - $18
...And a short-sleeve version. This looks incredibly cute, I'm about to head over to Target (my love) and check it out.

Ruched Tunic - $24.50 or 2/$40
That's a steal, btw, if you haven't noticed. Well, I guess it is, 20 bux a dress, not bad. They have this in other colors of course. I have the elbow length tunic from victoria's secret but I like their stuff so I would go for one of these. I might actually do that since I'm used to their clothes. It's ruched which is cool because if you're... petite, you can pull the dress up to where it would fall if you were 6'11" or whoever they make these clothes for, and it'll look normal and cute.

Until next time :)

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Who wants a cross body? (Current picks in bags)

I do, that's who. I think a friend and I had found a few nice ones at some nameless thrift store but naturally when we went back they were not there.

ASOS Contrast Handle Flat Lock Across Body - $25.86
I have my eye on this one (really, it's called across body? awkward) but am having a raging battle in my head about which color. You wanna hear?

"*Gasp* They have it in teal!"
"Oh, but this peachy red is quite nice too..."
"But we buy things in teal on principle -_- ..."
"But I've also been harbouring a soft spot for stuff that is peachy... and coraly..."
"Oh please. You were harboring the teal bias for like two years and you just now admitted that you like teal. So much for not having a favorite color."
"This is not about my contradictions. If we don't agree on something we're going to end up with two very cute bags and no money."

Too much I think. And just in case you were interested, my favorite water marble manicure so far has been a combination of teal, coral/peach, and a shimmery white. I will put up pictures as per Jasmine's request in the comments (or should I say comment, haha, love you).

Anyhow, this cross body has the perfect shape and I like the texture (or how it looks on my computer screen anyhow). We'll see which one I decide on. ASOS has free shipping both ways so I do have options. I foresee that I may end up getting the color that wasn't chosen later on anyway.

The Two Tone Zip Around Wallet in Blue by co-lab - $38
Wallet, bag, it's all down the same alley. The two are related. While some clutches and bags may be smaller than a wallet, I still wouldn't choose to use my wallet as the bag of the day but I probably wouldn't go anywhere without a wallet so where there are bags, there are usually wallets. Apologies, cabin fever. I like the two tone-ness of it all. And it's a nice cobalt-ish blue and the contrast with the camel is very bold and fun. Now let's decide: do we like those 38 dollars in our current beat up wallet or do we want a new funkier yet empty one? Haha.

The Plush Face Tote by Domo - $20
Domo! Look at that, the tote is 18 dollars cheaper and so terribly cute! No pun intended (though now that I think about it...). It has a velour front, hence the plush. I will just have to cross over to the dark side and buy a pink bag. What, they really do have cookies! And people who grew up in my house have no immunity to the lure of cookies. Ok, well some. All you have to do is look at your tummy in the mirror and you gain immunity to that extra cookie. The other four... oh well.

Push the Envelope Tan Purse - $31
See, I'm not the only one with puns. A friend and long standing shopping buddy of shopping buddies suggested that I might be cultivating a fondness for camel and similar colors. It's true. That aside, this bag looks like an envelope! How can you resist? I guess you can.

ASOS Lighting Bolt Clutch - $43.10It's a bright fun purple and has edgy fun cartoony lighting bolts on it. It's also a nice material and can fit a decent amount of stuff. Win win.

ASOS Clean Line Double Buckle Satchel - $43.10
This is sort of like a cross body because of its size and the strap. I like this material in bags and especially lately you can get them in a lot of cool colors such as this one rather than the typical black, brown, etc.

Joia Asymmetrical Foldover Clutch - $45
I like that this one has a detachable chain. It's also folder over which gives you the illusion that you can stuff it with stuff but really, if you stuffed it till the top it wouldn't foldover, haha

Merona Satchel - Teal/Purple - $34.99 or your local Target
Link's for the teal, btw though it'll probably have a link on the same page for the purple. I had a raging internal battle about these two too but the teal won. Again, it's that lovely leather (fake, which is good) material. I never know what to do with the straps on these bags because if you use them you randomly have handles dangling and if you don't then you have a random strap dangling. You could take it off but it tends to leave a big "strap was here" sign in its wake.

Ferrari Replica Shoulder Bag - $65
Now see, my laptop would look lovely in this. Well it probably wouldn't look anything because it'd be inside but oh well. I would save this for the days when we're toting my laptop around or going sporty. Today I did my scan of sports fashion apparel sites after a long time, post coming up (lots of them, lots!).

Puma Heritage Grip Bag - $76
Speaking of sports fashion... Can't go wrong with this shape though it's not for everyone. I'm one of those people but I do like this one. I like the Puma logo detail and the strap detail. Now how I'd keep it clean... well Mr. Clean hasn't failed me yet so who knows. I kid :P

I've been doing this post since yesterday! (I fell asleep, sorry) Now on to others.

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SOMG! (Boots :)

If we can have zombies omg, we can have shoes omg :)

Roxy Women's Truckee Winter Boot - $88.99
I can use some of this in my closet. But since my closet has my life in it, I might be running out of room.
Now for what actually IS in my closet

Women's Xhilaration® Karassa Slouchy Heeled Boots -$29.99
Recently acquired to solve the shoe crisis in the boot department. It was part of a huge Target solves my life problems shopping trip. The boots are extremely easy to walk in, mostly comfortable. I have a high arch so I might get something to put under the ball of my foot but other than that they're awesome. And they look great.

On another note. Did I go Black Friday shopping today (yesterday)? Yes. I didn't actually get anything though. I hit up the Tanger Outlets with my sister and it was nice and stampede free. I'm not going to lie here. I'm an online shopper. I usually make the most of deals I find online. If I'm out shopping in person, I don't do crowds (especially stampedes). But there were some pretty good sales so it was nice to try. It was also frigid. Brrr!

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Target Clearance section

I've always looked through the clearance rack at Target though more out of habit than actual intent to buy. I always check the clearance rack wherever I shop. There's something more thrilling about shopping the clearance section than the rest of the store. I feel like maybe since you sort of have to search through the racks and there's no real guarantee what you'll find, it's always exciting when you find something you like. It also helps that these finds tend to be cheap.

The Target clearance section in particular tends to have unique stuff priced as low as a dollar at times. Here's what I found. Interestingly enough, I picked up stuff in a huge variety of sizes and ended up buying only the stuff that wasn't in my size. Funny how this stuff works, eh?

License Juniors Flower Love Sleeveless Top - $6.98
Creative name there... I got this in XL. So it's an oversized look which I really like.

License Juniors Princeton Tee - $6.48
I really don't like the fit of this tee. So... I bought it an XL (or large I don't remember) and voila! Oversized look. I can add a belt, tuck it in, make it off-shoulder, etc.

I also got a 3-pack of knee high socks for $5 bucks which was nice.

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